The Thornton Heath Poltergeist
In a house in south London in 1938, cups flew, glasses smashed and objects seemed to appear out of thin air around one woman.
What was reported
In February 1938, a household in Thornton Heath, in south London, reported that crockery was flying across rooms and smashing, and that objects were appearing from nowhere around the woman of the house, later given the name 'Mrs Forbes'. The case made the newspapers.
The Hungarian-born psychical researcher Nandor Fodor studied her for months, at home and in his laboratory, watching for 'apports', objects that seemed to materialise.
Explanations offered
Fodor came to believe that Mrs Forbes was producing the effects herself, some by trickery, and that the outbreak was linked to stress and past trauma in her life. It was one of the first poltergeist cases explained in psychological terms. His conclusions angered spiritualists.
- When
- 1938
- Where
- Thornton Heath, Croydon, London, England, UK
- Witnesses
- A family, the press and the investigator Nandor Fodor
- Status
- Probably trickery
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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